[inaforty]

MJ,
The gasket wasn't a big issue. The hpdi ran great for a 1/2 dozen trips when we first put it in the water. We had a rough trip heading south down Vineyard Sound (wind against tide etc) when the hpdi lost some rpm going into Robinson's hole. I thought it was dirty fuel but read that it could be a plugs. I was checking the plugs and that is when I found the head gasket problem. Easy fix really. Probably easier then chasing a fuel issue. I did change my racor to a two micron to try to catch anything before the VST.

My plans for the Sea Ox is to sell it with the 96 200 Evinrude. I thought it would be easier to sell Evinrude hanging on a boat. I believe the Evinrude has about 550 hours+/-. It does need lower unit seals. I just haven't put in the time to get it started. The weather is nice now and I'm enjoying the time on the water. The Sea Ox seems to be a pretty well built boat. It is certainly a fishing machine with the large fish boxes and large open deck space. I might make curtains for the hardtop this winter if I don't move it. If you know anyone that might be interested let me know.